You know those beautiful replica food samples you see outside Japanese restaurants? There is an area in Tokyo, Japan where you can find a lot of them. I visited the Kappabashi ‘Kitchen Town’ district in Asakusa, Japan last year to make some of these food replicas myself at the Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya, Kappabashi Showroom.
Kappabashi Dougu Street is located in Tokyo’s Taito City, along the west side of Asakusa’s main entertainment district, and just midway between Ueno and Asakusa. Merchants first began gathering in the Kappabashi area around 1912, selling old tools and a wide range of implements and hardware.
Today, one can find just about every kind of restaurant equipment imaginable, including bakery equipment, foreign tableware, laquerware, restaurant equipment, packaging, containers, decorative goods, “fake” food samples, chefs’ coats, signs, noren (shop curtains), bamboo wares and much more. The street stretches for about 800 metres in length, with over 170 shops, It is Japan’s largest shopping street devoted to kitchen implements.
Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya is one such specialty shops in Kappabashi. They have been producing plastic replicas for display in restaurant windows since 1932. Recently, they started running workshops for both domestic and foreign tourists to make their own food replicas to take home.
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya, Kappabashi Showroom](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-29.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Ground floor where you can buy souvenirs](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-117.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Noodle replicas anyone?](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-116.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Display cases](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-114.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan They come packed like these to take home](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-112.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Fake sushi](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-111.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Fake toasts](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-109.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan More fake food](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-110.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Workshop information](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-118.jpg)
Here’s my creation of three pieces of tempura and a cabbage:
You can register yourself for one of their workshops next time you are in Tokyo. The prices vary, depending on the type of food replicas you choose to create.
My workshop costs 2160 yen per pax and you get to take home your creation. An English instructor is not always available, but a lot of the instructions can be easily understood via hand signals or are intuitive.
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Meet the instructors](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-27.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan What we will be making](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-25.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan I selected a fake piece of prawn and pumpkin](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-22.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Coloured wax](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-21.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Hot water](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-26.jpg)
We start with two tank of liquid – water at 42 degree Celsius and wax at 60 degree Celsius.
The fried coating on the tempura is made using the liquid wax, dipping or dripping them into the cooler water tank.
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Dripping the wax to make the fried bits](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-19.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Drizzling it all over](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-18.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Place a piece of fake food on top](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-16.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Flip and shape it](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-14.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Done!](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-20.jpg)
Making the tempura pieces are easier, whereby you just drizzle the wax on the water and wrap the solidified wax around the items.
The cabbage is made fully out of wax and requires much more skills. Many steps are involved:
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Drip some white wax first](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-12.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Pull and drag](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-10.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Shape it](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-08.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Add the green part](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-06.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Shape it](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-04.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Pull it up](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-133.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Fold the bottom](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-132.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Roll into a ball](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-130.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Done!](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-127.jpg)
I like how after you cut the completed wax cabbage into half, it looks even more like a real cabbage!
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan Slice it open](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-126.jpg)
![Making fake Japanese food at Asakusa's Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' district in Japan The cabbage looks even more real](https://media.alvinology.com/uploads/2016/03/hokuriku01-124.jpg)
The replicas can last about one year if you keep them away from direct heat or sunlight. They are not to be stored in refrigerator where they will become broken.
Have fun!
To find out more about the workshop, visit the official website for Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya.